Entry No. 13 — the Charleston file — filed under: speakeasy
Annex at Last Saint
Behind the main bar at Last Saint — itself a low-key Eastside cocktail bar away from the King Street crowds — is a plain, bright-yellow door with no sign. Ring the bell, and a guide leads you past a velvet curtain into a small, dimly lit back room with no printed menu; bartenders just build you something based on what you say you're in the mood for.
→ Three more hidden bars & speakeasies in Charleston — never the same twice
The story
While King Street draws the loud weekend crowds, Meeting Street on the Eastside keeps things quieter at Last Saint, a neighborhood bar opened by Joey Goetz with mixologists who cut their teeth at NYC's Attaboy. Walk straight past the main bar to the back, and you'll find a plain, bright-yellow door with no logo or sign. There’s a bell right beside it; press it, wait for a host to open up, and you'll be escorted past a heavy black velvet curtain into the Annex.
Inside, you won't find a printed menu, a chalkboard list, or a QR code. The entire back room runs on bespoke mixology across a space that fits just six barstools and three booths. Instead of ordering by name, you talk through your drink with the bartender: pick a base liquor—tequila, mezcal, gin, or bourbon—and name a couple of taste descriptors like smoky, herbal, spicy, or sour, and they'll whip up an off-menu custom drink on the spot.
What it's like
You are stepping into a tiny, dimly lit space where you sit close enough to hear the ice hit the shaker. Last Saint's main front bar is open seven days a week for casual walk-ins, but the back-room Annex only unlocks its yellow door Thursday through Saturday nights starting at 5:30 p.m. Because seating is capped at six barstools and three booth tables, walking up without a plan on a weekend usually leads to getting turned away. Lock in a reservation on Resy in advance, or try dropping by right when they open on a Thursday evening for a shot at walk-in seating.
The move: Start with a fixed-menu cocktail at Last Saint's front bar, then ask to be walked through the yellow door for an off-menu, tell-us-what-you-like round in the tiny back-room Annex.
- 📍 Eastside, Charleston
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 472 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29403
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Coming Street Cemetery — Trade your custom back-room cocktail for a quiet walk past the walled, gated 1762 Jewish cemetery located just 0.4 miles away.
- The Charleston Museum — Early Days Gallery — Pair off-menu mixology with a 0.4-mile stroll to inspect the 19th-century cabinet-of-curiosities gallery inside America's oldest museum.
- Prohibition — Head 0.3 miles over to King Street to compare the Annex's minimalist no-menu setup against Prohibition's full 1920s speakeasy decor.
More weird in Charleston
Good to know
How do I find and enter the Annex at Last Saint?
Walk to the back of Last Saint's main bar at 472 Meeting Street, locate the plain bright-yellow door, and press the bell next to it so a host can escort you past the velvet curtain.
How do you order drinks if there is no menu?
Tell your bartender what base spirit you prefer along with a few flavor adjectives (such as spicy, tropical, sour, or smoky), and they craft a custom cocktail based on your preferences.
Do I need a reservation for the Annex?
Reservations via Resy are strongly recommended because the Annex only holds six barstools and three booths, though walk-ins are accepted if space allows.
What are the hours for the Annex compared to Last Saint?
Last Saint's main front bar is open daily from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., while the hidden Annex operates Thursday through Saturday starting at 5:30 p.m.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: resy.com · gowanderly.com · Official site · postandcourier.com · discoversouthcarolina.com
last checked: 2026-07-20